People in Scotland who were diagnosed with pleural plaques caused by negligent exposure to asbestos at work will be allowed to claim compensation under a law passed by the Scottish Parliament this week.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) can assess the fairness of bank charges for unauthorised overdrafts, the Court of Appeal ruled yesterday. Seven banks and one building society have vowed to appeal the ruling to the House of Lords.

New rules preventing life companies from using surpluses held in with-profits funds to meet compensation costs will only apply to policies sold after the rules come into force, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) announced this week.